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G9C./

LEAD

In modern

PLUMBING

f^^asft^r®

LEAD IN MODERN PLUMBING

Wfiy, Wfiere, How It Is Used

IE AD is widely used in the most modern plumbing installations.
^ It is virtually essential for certain applications in order to
make permanently sanitary jobs. Its use is permitted by prac-
tically all plumbing ordinances, required for certain purposes
by many — strong proof of its superb record of performance.

If for no other reason than its flexibility which provides for
settlement or differential movement occurring in practically all
structures, lead is needed in modern plumbing. Yet it has many
other desirable qualities, durability, smooth bore, flexibility of
installation, bonded joints, being among them.

Why lead is used in modern plumbing and where in the
plumbing system it is most applicable are outlined in the following
pages. Also some general requirements for its best installation
are included.

For further details or for assistance with specific lead plumbing
problems write to

LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION

420 Lexington Avenue
New York 17, N. Y.

Roman lead pipe manufactured between the years 69 and 79 A.D.
and unearthed, h800 years later in excellent condition.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT

Lead plumbing and water distribution systems have
a historical background of more than 2,000 years of
dependable service. In the early days, its manufacture
and use were extremely crude, but even so it performed
surprisingly well.

The ancient Romans were among the first to recognize
the value of lead pipe in the extensive water systems
which were a part of their civilization. The value of
cleanliness and proper waste disposal was well known
to them even to the extent of such systems following
their victorious armies. Evidence of this is found in
Bath, England, where they developed a water supply
system using lead pipe that is still in evidence.

A particularly good example of old Roman lead pipe
is shown in the illustration. The raised inscription on
it reads: "IMP. CAES. AUG. VESPASIANA SUB
CURA CALLISTI AUG. L. PROCURATOR! S." or in
English "(Manufacture of the) Emperor Caesar Augus-
tus Vespasian, under the charge of Callistus, freedman
of the emperor, manager." As Vespasian reigned from
69 to 79 A.D., the pipe when excavated in 1907 had
been in the ground for more than 1,800 years. This
certainly speaks for the durability of lead pipe under-
ground.

Definite evidence has been left to us that the Romans
had a flourishing lead pipe manufacturing industry,
with diameters and lengths standardized. The pipe
was made oval in cross-section and from all indications
was made by casting sheet lead to the required thickness
and width and then bending the sheet until the edges
touched, whereupon these edges were fused together
by one of two ways, either by building a fire or running
molten lead along the seams.

Through the years lead since those crude beginnings
has always been an important material of plumbing
and still is today. But during that time methods of
manufacture and use have been developed to a high
degree of perfection, resulting in greatly improved
products with a high degree of quality control that can
be counted upon to perform better than ever.

Lead pipe of modern day manufacture. From the crude
beginning of lead pipe manufacture to today's quality
controlled product, lead has served the plumbing indus-
try well.

HOW LEAD PIPE AND FITTINGS ARE MADE

cr
,0

The seamless smooth inner bore of lead pipe and
fittings is a result of the method of manufacture in use
today. Large extrusion presses exerting pressures up to
750 tons literally squeeze the lead through dies forming
the pipe.

At the top of the press is a ram or nozzle with a hole
in the center. This hole in the ram controls the outside
diameter of the pipe. The lower half of the press is a
cylinder holding up to 1,000 lb. of lead into which
molten lead is poured and allowed to solidify. In the
center of the cylinder is a mandrel or steel rod which
controls the inside diameter of the pipe.

The lower half of the press, the cylinder, is forced
against the ram under hydraulic pressure, forcing the
lead through the space between the mandrel and hole
in the ram. The pipe thus produced is uniform in wall
thickness of long continuous lengths and seamless.

In the production of lead traps and bends, the
principle is the same though the operation is quite
different. Two hydraulic presses with cylinders set in
horizontal line form an integral unit with a single die
and mandrel in the center. Each of the presses is
operated independently and the cylinders on both sides
of the mandrel are loaded with lead. At the beginning
of the operation, in the production of a bend for
example, equal pressure is at first applied forcing the
lead out uniformly around the mandrel. At the point
where the bend is to be made, greater pressure is ap-
plied to one cylinder forcing more lead out that side,
thereby creating the bend in the lead. As soon as the

Extrusion press for making lead traps and bends. Pres-
sure on the two lead cylinders is controlled independ-
ently by the controls shown in the foreground.

bend is completed, the pressure is equalized in both
cylinders and production of the straight section of the
bend is continued until the required length, when it is
cut off. The operation is completed much more rapidly
than can be explained. By proper manipulation of the
pressure controls, skillful operators can almost write
their names in lead.

STANDARDS OF QUALITY

Some years ago, the Lead Industries Association with
the cooperation of the manufacturers of lead pipe, fit-
tings and calking lead adopted Standards that closely
controlled metal purity, wall thickness, concentricity and
weight. Manufacturers producing products meeting the
rigid standards are licensed by the Association to stamp
the "Seal of Approval" insignia on such products. The
Association, through the licensing agreement, could
withhold or take away permission to use the "Seal" if
products not meeting the standards were found.

Thus added assurance of long life and trouble-free
service expected of lead pipe, fittings and calking lead
is provided the users of such products.

Lead bend affixed with the "Seal of Approval/' inden-
fificofion of high quality product meeting recognized
standards.

INSTALL

MATERIAL

That these Standards were promulgated not for the
benefit of the manufacturer, but rather for the benefit
of the consumer is aptly shown by the specifications
and standards for these same products adopted by the
Federal Government. The Government Standard, Fed-
eral Specification WW-P-325, Pipe, Bends and Traps;
Lead (For) Plumbing and Water-Distribution, and

Commercial Standard CS94-41 Calking Lead, are iden-
tical in substance with those adopted by the Association
and to which manufacturers using the "Seal of Ap-
proval" must conform.

The foregoing Standards and Specifications are avail-
able, free of charge, from the Lead Industries Associa-

tion.

Weight

per
Nominal Inside Running
Diameter Foot

(Inches) (Pounds)

11/4
11/2
2

25/8
31/8
41/8

Lead Trap and Bend Standards

HALF S OR P TRAPS
Short Traps

Dimensions

Inlet Outlet

(Inches) (Inches)

41/2
41/2
41/2

Total Weight
(Pounds) (Ounces)

4 15

7 2

hong Traps

Dimensions

Inlet
(Inches)

41/2
41/2
41/2

Outlet
(Inches)

Total Weight
(Pounds) (Ounces)

5 9

6 12
9 3

DRUM TRAPS

Vrap Sizes

(Inches)

8 ■

Thickness

of Cap and

Flange

(Inches)

5/32

Length of

Thread and

Ring

(Inches)

9/16

7/16

Screw Cap and Ring
Thread

3 -inch straight pipe thread, 8 threads per inch, free-fit
(nominal pitch diameter, 3.388 inch).

2-inch straight pipe thread, 111/2 threads per inch, free-fit
(nominal pitch diameter, 2.296 inch).

BENDS

iy2-inch Nominal Inside
Diameter

'mens ions
Inches)

Total Weight
(Pounds) (Ounces)

4x 7

4x12

4x15

4x18

4x20

7x 7

7x12

7x15

7 x 18

7 x20

3-inch Nominal Inside
Diameter

Dimensions
(Inches)

Total Weight
(Pounds) (Ounces)

51/2 X 10

51/2x12

51/2x15

51/2x18

51/2 X 20

10 X 10

10 xl2

10 xl5

10 xl8

10 x20

4-inch Nominal Inside
Diameter

Dimensions
(Inches)

Total Weight
(Pounds) (Ounces)

51/2x10

51/2x12

51/2x15

51/2 X 18

51/2 X 20

10 X 10

10 xl2

10 xl5

10 xl8

10 x 20

Lead Pipe Standards

Size
Inside

Class

Commercial
Designation^

Wall

M-inimum
Outside

Weight

Per Foot

V)idffietef

of
Pipe'

Thickness

Circumference

(Inches)

East

West

(Inches)

Pounds

Ounces

WATER SERVICE PIPE

3/8

0.143

2'h

0.175

21/8

100

AAA

xxs

0.256

25/8

0.149

2y8

0.188

25/8

100

AAA

xxs

0.256

3iV

5/g

0.197

3t^

0.228

31/4

100

AAA

xxs

0.256

0.203

31/2

0.231

3i^

100

AAA

xxs

0.293

0.214

0.246

4t%

100

AAA

xxs

0.298

11/4

0.210

51/8

0.258

53/8

100

AAA

xxs

0.320

5il

0.242

0.288

6y&

100

AAA

xxs

0.386

0.252

I'A

0.376

81/2

100

AAA

xxs

0.504

9i%

11/4
11/2

21/2

3
4
5
6

SOIL AND WASTE PIPE

0.118
0.139
0.171

0.138
0.165
0.191

0.142

0.177
0.205

0.125
0.250

41/2
All
4%

5f^
55/8
5y4

71/4
7^

81/2
9tk

lOife
10%

13t\
14

163/8
171/8

19I/2
201/4

2
3
3

3
4
5

4
6

5
10

8
16

10
20

12
2

'Class of pipe also indicates maximum working pressure in pounds per square inch.
'Designations ordinarily used east and west, respectively, of the Illinois-Indiana State line.

LEAD SERVICE PIPE

Lead pipe has long been recognized as the standard
material for water service connections between the main
and dwelling. Many of the larger cities of the country
insist that lead pipe be used for sizes 2 in. and under,
particularly where conditions are severe.

Performance

Wherever lead service pipe has been used, experience
has shown its performance to be remarkable. A recent
example of the long life that can be expected of lead
service pipe was part of a survey made by the American
Water Works Association on the survival and retirement
of water works facilities which appeared in the August,
1945, issue of the official "Journal" of that Association.

The study was made from the files of the Denver
Municipal Water Works, Denver, Colo., and covered
the entire distribution system, going back to the original
establishment of a public water supply in 1872. At the
time the survey was made, practically all of the services
were lead. It is clearly revealed in this study how well
lead service pipe endures through long periods of time.
For example, the records show that of the 75,729 lead
services in sizes from 1/2 ^^ 5 in. installed since 1875,
only 5.1 percent have been retired. The record is even
better when it is considered that retirement does 770t
necessarily imply failure inasmuch as changes and de-
velopment, particularly in the older parts of the city,
may have necessitated larger services than were initially
installed. In addition, the retirement of 46.4 percent of
575,759 ft. of galvanized iron mains in sizes of 1 to

21/2 in. installed since 1884, undoubtedly accounted
for some of the lead service pipe retirements. A chart
showing the survival percentages in relation to age of
lead water services prepared from the data revealed in
the Denver study is shown.

Other illustrations show lead service pipe being in-
stalled in Chicago, New Orleans and New York, diese
cities using lead services almost exclusively. Because
of their size, this particular group probably offer the
most trying conditions to any service pipe. Traffic is
of course considerably heavier than in the smaller cities
and the service pipes must be able to withstand the
heavy vibration and movement caused by this traffic.
In Manhattan, New York City, for example, in addition
to the heavy auto, bus and truck traffic overhead, the
continuous thundering of subway trains which are never

lea6 service pipe being installed
in New York, left, Chicago, cen-
ter, and New Orleans, right.

T\ ' '

•"%

& ^....

*^ s

v>^

These are among the many cities
that use lead exclusively or almost ex-
clusively for services 2 in, and under.

th:^:^

100
90
80

geo

^40

rIN.

'/2-IN.

y-^

.^W-IN.

Surv/Va/
re/af/on
Co/o.

percenfages of lead wafer services with
fo age from a study made in Denver,

10 20 30 40 50 50 70

SERVICE AGE IN YEARS

very far away from practically any spot on the island,
offer still another obstacle to long and trouble-free life
that should be expected of the water service pipe ma-
terial. That lead is performing satisfactorily under these
grueling conditions is shown by the fact that practically
all of the water service lines 2 in. and under, installed
in Manhattan, are lead. A recent communication from
Mr. Joseph J. Halliday, chief inspector, Bureau of
Water Supply, Manhattan, stated: "Most certainly the
sub-surface conditions in the Borough of Manhattan are
the most severe tests for service pipes that may be found
anywhere and, through years of experience, it has been
found that lead, due to its flexibility and its resistance
to corrosion, is one of the best materials for service pipes
2 in. and less in diameter."

The performance of lead services under these difficult
conditions is of course one of the most important reasons
why it is preferred by large and small cities alike. Such
smaller cities as Newark, N. J., Shreveport, La., Spring-
field, 111., Fort Worth, Tex. and St. Paul, Minn., use
lead service pipe almost exclusively. These cities are
examples only and the list is by no means complete.

Their experience has been almost identical with that
of the larger cities and it is not uncommon to find lead
services performing perfectly in any of these cities after
40, 50 or more years.

Cost

The initial cost of lead pipe because of its greater
wall thickness and weight may be more than other ma-

terials. However, it can be written off over a longer
period of life. This is graphically shown in the Denver,
Colo,, study made by the American Water Works Assoc-
iation and described in the previous section.

As most services are installed under lawns and pave-
ments, expensive repairs requiring these to be torn up
are minimized and replacements reduced by the use of
durable lead. Acmally the cost of the service material
is only a small part of the overall cost of such an in-
stallation.

As a concrete example, the following table of itemized
costs of four water services, selected at random from the
files of the water division of a large eastern city show
the relationship between the cost of a lead water service
pipe itself and of the total cost of the installation:

Percentage Cost of Installing
Lead Water Service Pipe

Length

Tap and Coupling

Curb Stop

Wiped Joints

Curb Box

Plumber

Engineer (Compressor)

Chauffeur

Labor

Overhead

GasoHne

Paving Repair

1 in. Lead Pipe

Total

12'0"

L3%

3.x

1.7

2.4

8.6

4.3

5.1
23.1
12-8

0.4
30.9

6.3

(2)
31'0"

1.0%

2,4

1.3

1.8

6.5

3.3

3.4
29.7
13.9

0.3
23.8
12.6

(5)
22' 0"

Ll%

2.7

2.2

2.0

7.5

3.7

AA
26.5
12.9

0.3
26.7
10.0

(4)
10'6"

1.3%

3.0

1.6

2.3

8.2

4.2

4.9
26.3
12.8

30.0
5.4

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

It will be noted that in no case does the cost of the
pipe amount to more than 12.6 percent of the cost of the
installation. If the use of a less durable material than
lead had made possible a saving of as much as 25 percent
in the cost of the pipe, it would have resulted in a sav-
ing of only 3.2 percent of the cost of the total installa-
tion of service No. 2 and even less in the cost of the
shorter lines.

When consideration is given to smallness of actual
savings that can be made by sacrificing durability to price
it seems poor economy to install anything but the most
durable material. It is certain that such savings could
never compensate for the expense created by the failure
of even one installation, which would result in early
repetition of all other costs amounting to about ten times
the first cost of pipe or forty times the probable initial
saving.

INSTALL

MATERIAL

._^

Safe Working Pressure of Lead Service Pipe

Class of
Lead Pipe

100

Application
Service and supply
Service and supply
Service and supply

Maximum Working
Pressure, Pounds
per Square Inch

100

75
50

How Lead Service Pipe Is Installed

There are three classes of lead service pipe, each de-
signed to function within certain ranges of water press-
ure. The above table taken from Federal Specification
WW-P-325 describes these in detail.

Lead ser\^ice pipe is supplied in coils of considerable
length determined by the weight of pipe selected. Very
few service installations require more than one coil, as
a matter of fact, a single coil will usually be enough for
two or more installations.

A sufficient length of lead pipe of the proper class
for the pressure to be handled is cut from the coil, allow-
ing for a gooseneck and reasonable slack to bypass any
obstacles in the trench. Allowance for the gooseneck
needed for the various sizes of lead pipe is shown in
the accompanying table. The pipe may be measured in
the coil, and fittings may be attached to the portion to
be used without uncoiling.

Leod service showing ample gooseneck benf infegraily

info the pipe making ample provision for seitlemenf.

This insfailation connects an o/d lead service fo the
new main.

Nominal

Inside Diameter

(Inches)

% to 2, inclusive

3^ to 2, inclusive

Ys to 2, inclusive

Commercial

Designation

East West

AAA

XXS

The corporation stop tailpiece, preferably the angle
type, is wiped to the water main end of the lead pipe
and the curb stop, union or other connecting unit is
joined to the house end of the service. This much of
the service installation is easily done in the shop.

The prepared lead service is then placed in the trench
with a half "S" shaped gooseneck extending to the right
when facing the main so that any settlement will tighten
rather than loosen the corporation cock union. The
gooseneck should also lie horizontal to prevent trapping.

In rocky soil, pipe should be bedded in sand or earth
and covered with six to eight inches of sand or loose
earth before back-filling. In corrosive soils such as muck
or cinders or in locations where severe electrolysis may
be expected, the lead service should be layed in a wood
or tile trough and covered with hot pitch.

Lead Service Pipe
Length of Gooseneck and Length of 100 Lb. of Pipe

Length of

Width

Inside

Pipe in

Across

Number of

Diamete

Gooseneck

Feet in

(Inches)

(Feet)

100 Pounds

CLASS 50

31 S Weight)

For Pressures up to

50 Pounds Per Square

Inch

iy4

33.3

iy4

25.0

iy4

2y2

iy2

21.0

11/2

15.5

2y2

11.3

CLASS 75 (AA

or XS Weight)

For

Pressures up to

75 Pounds Per Square

Inch

iy4

28.5

iy4

21.0

iy4

2y2

16.6

11/2

12.5

2y2

7.2

CLASS 100 (AAA

or XXS Weight)

For

Pressures up to

100 Pounds Per Square Inch

iy4

21.0

iy4

16.6

iy4

2y2

iy2

12.9

iy2

8.8

2y2

5.1

- 6 ib. SHEET LEAD FLASHING.
^TAR PAPER ROOF.

SECTION A- A
PLAN

i^m^^^

■ •S^^

(

7*,p n Jj

I EAD AND CAST [RON SOIL PIPE
ROUGHING -IN- FOR TWO STORY BU ILDING

WATER CLOSET BENDS -4" X 3" X. H. LEAD REDUCING BENDS
BATH TRAPS 4" X 9" X. H. LEAD DRUM TRAPS.

OR ly/ X. H. LEAD "P" TRAPS,
WASTE AND VENT PIPE- / AND IVs" CLASS "D" LEAD.
SOIL AND VENT STACKS -3** AND 2' CAST IRON SOIL PIPE .

KITCHEN SINK AND UUNDRY TRAY, ON SAME PARTITION.

! — Nr ttH

COUNTER TOP

WATER CLOSET BENDS, 4" X. H. LEAD.
SINK WASTE PIPE, 2" CLASS "D" LEAD.
SINK TRAPS, V/2 OR 2" X. H. LEAD.
BATH TRAPS. IVs" OR 2" X. H. LEAD-
V/i OR 2" WASTE AND VENT PIPE, CLASSED" LEAD.
SINK C. = 2" BRASS PLUG WIPED IN,
ALL PIPE SIZES ACCORDING TO LOCAL PLUMBING CODE.

ON INTERMEDIATE FLOORS

Lis-

TOP FLOOR

INTERMEDIATE

FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

= — --=ot

IIIHII

^^-^

BATHROOMS BACK TO BACK LAYOUT

PLAN.

4 lb. SHEET LEAD.

6 lb. SHEET LEAD.

ROOF FLASHING MADE ENTIRELY OF LEAD

ANY ANGLE OR FLAT.

WATER CLOSET BENDS, 4" X. H. LEAD.

BATH TRAPS- V/i X H. LEAD "P- TRAP.

VENT PIPE PUSHING, 4 lb. SHEET LEAD.

WASTE AND VENT PIPES, 2" CWSS"D" LEAD PIPE.

« » ' " 1%' « " " "
SOIL STACK. 4" CAST IRON SOIL PIPE .
VENT STACK. 2" " » " "
ALL PIPE SIZES ACCORDING TO LOCAL
PLUMBING CODE.

MULTIPLE STORY BUILDING

BATHROOMS BACK TO BACK

-TEST 'T" C. 0.

LEAD SHOWER PAN
COATED WITH ASPHALTUM.

^ SHEET LEAD FOLDED
PIG EAR CORNER

SECTION A- A

; — U4—

•n TILE WALL

J ;r

1 — y —

DRAIN *.

-METAL LATH.

-^ i,

SINK UNDER WINDOW.

iyj"OR 2" "d" LEAD PIPE
SINK WASTE.

TAR PAPER. /

ASPHALTUM COATED /
SHEET LEAD SAFE^

SHEET LEAD AND TRAP
SOLDERED TO DRAIN BODYt

^EEP HOLES

' [ ) T X.H.LEADT'TRA
1 LEAD WASTE PIPE

CURB ^SERVICE BOX.
.„ \ \ ^SIDEWALK

mmmm^^^^^^^mz^/.

GROUND KEY
.CURB COCK.

CORPORATION COCK.

STREET WATER MAIN .

LEAD WATER SERVICE PIPE.

XALKED SLEEVE .

^ MAIN SHUT OFF VALVE
TO PLUMBING FIXTURES.

^'Xa-X. H. LEAD
REDUCING BEND-

3" X 3" C. L SOIL PIPE '
SANITARY "T" BRANCH
WITH 2" WASTE SIDE INLET

4"X4"X. H. LEAD BEND

4"X4"C- I. SOIL PIPE "^
SANITARY 't' BRANCH
WITH 2" WASTE SIDE INLET.

2*"D''LEADVENT-*n

4"X4"X. H. LEAD BEND.

4"X4"C. LSOILPIPE ^ Y
SANITARY T BRANCH, U

LEAD INTERIOR PLUMBING

Lead pipe, bends and traps are extensively used in
modern building. There is no more durable plumbing
system than one of lead properly installed.

Lead is the one material that can be counted on to
provide long and trouble-free service. There is evidence
of lead's durability in many early American homes in
which the original lead plumbing is still in use and by
the plumbing codes which prohibit rhe use of less durable
metals in inaccessible places.

Durability

In a recent test of various metallic materials used in
soil, waste and vent lines conducted under accelerated
conditions in Fort Worth, Texas, lead pipe proved to be
outstanding, having a relative life expectancy of more
than six times any of the other materials tested. The
results of the test, outlined in a paper presented at the
1949 annual convention of the American Society of Sani-
tary Engineers, was prepared from data developed by
the chief plumbing inspector, Department of Public
Works, Fort Worth, Texas.

The test samples, of materials customarily used for soil,
waste and vent lines and those recently suggested for
this use, were approximately 2 ft. in length and con-
formed to established plumbing size specifications. The
samples were placed in a wooden rack which was then
placed in a manhole carrying the return sludge from
the Fort Worth sewage disposal plant's aeration basin.
The samples were not submerged in the sewage but were
kept 18 in. above the water line. Tests of the conditions
surrounding the test samples showed the sewage to be
alkaline, the condensed moisture on the samples acid
and the atmosphere surrounding the test pieces to con-
tain hydrogen sulphide. Of course, being an accelerated
test, the conditions of the test were more stringent than

Lead waste, vent and drum trap connection for second
floor bath in an Albuquerque, N.M. residence.

ordinarily found in the plumbing system but all of these
conditions are present in the ordinary waste system to
a lesser degree.

The duration of the test was one year and after this
time, the weight loss of the lead, a simple method of
figuring corrosion, was less than any of the other materi-
als tested. In addition, the lead was the only material
not affected by pitting, whereas all of the others were
pitted in varying degrees and in one case, had pitted
completely through the wall of the pipe. This particular
sample had completely failed in six months.

Flexibility

Building settlement, vibration, and expansion and
contraction of building materials are bound to bring
about differential movement of the component parts of
a building, whether it be large or small. Under these
conditions, if bathroom fixtures are connected to a hard,
rigid material, stresses are placed on the piping as well
as the fixtures until eventually something gives. If the

Lead bends and drum traps in
place for back to back bathrooms
in a 200-unit housing project in
Nashville, Tenn.

Stuyvesant Town, large Mefropol/'fan Life insurance Co.
bousing pro/ecf in New York Ciiy. Lead bends were
insfalied under each of the 8J55 water closets.

piping fails, discovery of the failure is usually made only
after the water leakage has caused considerable damage
to walls and ceilings and unsanitary conditions prevail.
If the bathroom fixture cracks, an unsanitary condition
results and expensive replacement is usually necessary.

This possible source of future replacement and repairs
is easily overcome by the use of flexible lead piping and
connections which yield sufficiently to take up this move-
ment without damage or strain.

A particularly vulnerable spot in the bathroom is the
water closet connection to the rigid soil stack. This im-
portant connection, because of the unsanitary conditions

All lead roughing in for a
single story residence in Waco,
Texas, left, and center, two
story residence with all lead

Preparing lead reducing bends for installation in Stuy-
vesant Town. Nofe the efficient methods used in doing
lead work in the plumbing shop.

that can result m the event of failure, should be such
that it will absorb stresses and strains without destruc-
tion to itself. No other material can do this as well as
lead bends or stubs and this is borne out by the fact that
their use is practically universal and in many areas com-
pulsory. Further, the smooth inner surface of lead pipe
and fittings offer little opportunity for solids to lodge
and clog the pipe.

To the protection of fixtures provided by the flexibility
of lead is an added advantage. Fixtures are set more
easily and quickly because lead piping may be bent, by
hand, to make up for slight inaccuracies in measurements.

wastes and vents including a lead
stack in Albuquerque, N. M. Right,
a lead and cast-iron soil pipe in-
stallation in Port Arthur, Texas.

Calking a lead bend in place in
White Plains, N. Y. Center, a lead
stack roughing-in for hack to
back bathrooms prefabricated in

How To Install

Lead Waste and Vent Pipe

Detailed drawings on the use of lead pipe and fittings
in various type buildings appear on the preceeding pages.

One of the most important details that can be noticed
in these drawings is the freedom from joints wherever
lead is used. Changes of direction are easily made simply
by careful bending of the pipe by hand.

Lead's softness, which imparts the desirable qualities
of flexibility to the pipe, also requires that simple pre-
cautionary measures be taken to see that the pipe is not

Preparing lead stubs for closet connections in the Ter-
race Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. The stubs were
spun closed by the manufacturer.

damaged before and during installation. This is not to
imply that it has to be handled with "kid gloves." Care
should be taken to see that it is not laid against sharp
edges of stones, joists, nails or other projections which
might cut into it. Also the working place where the
lead is prepared for installation should be cleaned free
of sharp particles such as metal chips.

Vertical runs of lead pipe should be supported at
intervals of approximately 4 feet by means of lead tacks
soldered to the pipe and fastened to the studs or wall
or by flange joints at the floor level. On horizontal runs,

Lead fittings, wastes and vents installed in an eight-
family multiple story apartment project in Austin,
Texas.

Cross-sectional view of a wiped joint in lead pipe. Note that the
joint does not offer any obstacles to impede flow or cause clogging.

the lead .sIioliIlI be supported preferably over its entire
length by wood strips or metal troughs fastened to the
joists or hung from ceilings by means of hangers.

Three types of joints are commonly used in joining
Icjd pijHM^Klcred, welded, and compression fittings
sometimes used for water service pipe. Two types of
soldered joints are commonly used, the wiped soldered
joint and the soldered joint using an iron. The latter
is used principally on cup joints and soldered joints
III sheet lead for shower pans and vent stack flashings.

Wiped joints are by far the most frequently used
with lead pipe and are almost invariably required in
plumbing ordinances. A wiped soldered joint has one
important advantage over any other type of joint used
with other materials in that the joint, properly made,
is stronger than the pipe itself. This is certainly not
true- with sMLW pipe. Threading the pipe cuts deeply
int^) [ht w.iW thLLs seriously reducing the thickness of the
pipe at its most vulnerable point.

Above, one of the many lead bends
in a Chattanooga, Tenn. housing project.

Four-inch lead wastes, bends and vents installed in remodel-
ing jobs in Omaha, Nebr., below, and Springfield, IIL, right.

These lead installations avoided raising the floor level.

CALKING LEAD

Lead is the standard material for calking cast-iron
bell and spigot pipe for interior plumbing, water mains,
or wherever cast-iron bell and spigot pipe is employed.
It can be used in the molten state or in the form of lead
wool. Poured joints using molten lead are the most
common, but lead wool is ideal where the molten form
cannot be used, as in wet ground, under water, or for
repairs in gas lines where heat might create a dangerous
condition.

Lead for poured molten joints is commercially referred
to as calking lead and is obtainable in a number of
forms, ranging from pigs weighing 90 to 100 lb. for
use in large jobs, to conveniently sized 3 to 5 lb. cakes
or ingots for smaller work.

The performance of the completed joint can easily be
affected by the purity of the metal used. To insure against
low quality material, insist on calking lead meeting the
requirements of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Commercial Standard CS94-41, Calking Lead. The chem-
ical requirements of the standard are as follows:

Chemical Requirements for Calking Lead

Lead for calking purposes shall contain not less than
99.73 percent of lead.

Maximum allowable impurities:

Percent

Arsenic, antimony and tin together • ■ • 0.015

Copper - 0-08

ZinV 0-002

Iron 0.002

Bismuth 0.25

Silver 0.02

To identify easily calking lead meeting these require-
ments, insist on "Seal of Approval" calking lead. (See
page 3.)

"'^"^^^

Pouring and calking lead in a large wafer main in
New York City.

In the preparation of a calked joint, jute or oakum
is driven firmly into the bottom of the joint, leaving
about an inch to be filled with lead in the case of soil
or waste pipe and two inches in the case of water or
pressure pipe.

The weight of lead required for joints in cast-iron
soil pipe is approximately 12 02. of lead per inch of
diameter. The accompanying table gives the amount of
lead required for joints in cast iron water mains:

Lead has several advantages for making cast iron pipe
joints not found in numerous substitutes. It is soft and
allows the joint to become deformed due to settling,
vibration or expansion and contraction, without leaking.
Brittle substitutes, most of which are sulphur base com-
pounds, often crack or cause the pipe to crack.

All rigid pipe lines are subject to strains from ground
movement or settlement. If the stresses thus set up can
be absorbed by the jointing material, little or no damage
to the pipe line can be expected. On the other hand,
if the jointing material is brittle and unable to absorb

Pneumatic air-gun being used to calk lead into cast-iron
water main joint in Alienfown, Pa.

this movement, the joint will undoubtedly fail. If this
does not happen, far more serious consequences will
occur, such as the pipe itself cracking.

In this connection, perhaps the greatest advantage of
lead calked joints where movement has been sufficient to
cause leaking is the ease with which they can be repaired.
It is costly to shut off water supplies to make repairs
to leaky joints, yet that is what must be done if non-
calking substitutes for lead are used. If a leak develops
in a lead joint, simple calking generally repairs it with-
out a shutdown.

Lead calked joints in underground mains have often
served for more than 100 years and have been found
sound and in good condition when the mains were ulti-
mately uncovered. No other jointing material has such
a performance record. Moreover, when the lead has been
cut out upon removal of the pipe, it can and has been
actually used to calk the main replacing the older one.

In short, joint leaks are fewer if the joints are made
with lead, and if leaks do develop, they are more easily
and cheaply repaired.

Calking Materials Required for
Lead Joints in Cast Iron Water Mains*

ate Weight

of Lead per Joint

Approximate Weight

2 in. Deep

of Hemp per Joint

Size of Pipe

Pounds

6.00

0.18

7.50

0.21

10.25

0.31

13.25

0,44

16.00

0.53

19.00

0.61

22.00

0.81

30.00

0.94

33.80

1.00

37.00

1.25

44.00

1.50

54.25

2.06

64.75

3.00

75.25

3.62

85.50

4.37

97.60

6.25

108.30

8.25

146.00

12.50

170.00

15.00

-Cast Iron Pipe Research Association

Left, a fwefve-inch lead calked cast-iron water main in
Denver, Co/o. after being lowered 3 ft. and moved hori-
zontally 2 ft. under pressure, lies in a perfectly dry ditch
indicating total absence of leaks. Below, lead being poured
into a cast iron joint in Riverside, Conn.

— ^ ^^^-itJi

SHOWER PANS

With the increasing importance of stall showers in
general building plans, it is important to consider the
proper waterproofing of these fixtures if eventual damage
to walls and ceilings below, with possible rotting or
rusting of beams, joints and studs, is to be avoided.

One of the surest methods of overcoming this water-
proofing problem is with sheet lead properly installed
under the shower floor. The drawing on page 12 illus-
trates how this should be done.

Lead pans make the most satisfactory waterproofing
because lead is absolutely impermeable to moisture,
because it is extremely durable and inexpensive, and
because the lead conforms easily to the usually uneven
surface to be covered. More rigid materials may have
voids beneath them and after the tile floor is laid and
walked on, the rigid material yields and causes the tile
to crack. The lead pan is also flexible enough to allow
for settling of the building without damage to the pan.

A precautionary measure that will add many years
to the life of the pan is to give it a heavy coating of
asphaltum both inside and out when laid over a cement
or concrete floor. On wood floors it is advisable to cover
the floor with tar paper before setting the pan and to
coat the inside of the pan with asphaltum.

This procedure is advisable because water which has
seeped through cement, concrete or mortar containing
free lime may be corrosive to lead as it is to many other

Cuf-away view of the proper mefhod of insfaii'mg and
connecting a lead shower pan to a iead P-trop. Pro-
gressive steps in applying the asphaltum and tar paper
are a/so shown.

common metals. The asphaltum protects the lead during
the curing period of the cement. After the cement has
completely carbonated, this danger no longer exists.

The lead pan should have upstands at least 6 in. high
and preferably the studs should be notched at least y^
in. back, the notches extending high enough to take care
of the upstand. This will then catch any water that may
come through the tile work above the top of the pan.

The drain should be soldered to the lead pan and
weep holes provided just above the pan level.

A shower pon being instaHed for a battery ot showers
in Q conversion job for the U. S. Navy at Atianta, Go.
The pan is made of a single sheet of lead with foided
corners and laid over tar paper.

Sheet lead pan installed over the entire floor of the
16 X 27 ft. bathroom in the Lamda Chi Alpha Fra-
iernify House at Louisiana State University. The shower
area is confined by an additional upstand.

Hub-type lead venf stack flashing on a f)af deck roof
of a 702'un'it housing project in Syracuse, N. Y.

LEAD VENT STACK FLASHINGS

Lead is one of the most durable of the common metals
when exposed to the atmosphere. For this reason alone,
it would be the preferred material for flashings, partic-
ularly for vent stacks piercing the roof. In addition to
its durability, however, lead provides these flashings with
the necessary flexibility to take up any movement between
the vent stack and roof that would tend to destroy other
less flexible materials.

Leaks that develop through faulty flashings of vent
stacks are usually not discovered until considerable
damage to the interior of the building has occurred.

Boot-Type lead venf stack flashings on a US-unit
housing project in Buffalo, N. Y.

Therefore, if this is to be prevented, it is important that
lead with its many advantages be used to flash vent
stacks.

The pleasing gray patina that lead develops upon
exposure to the air blends well with any color scheme.
More important, this patina is a strongly adherent film
that is insoluble and therefore non-staining. This is
particularly important on pitched roofs where any result-
ing stains can mar the roof and side walls.

Lead vent stack flashings are usually made from sheet
lead with the seams welded or soldered. (See drawing
on page 11). Lead vent stack flashings cast in one
piece are also readily available.

Lead waste and vent connections and horizonfai 4-m. lead soil pipe with lead bends and
stubs for wall hung closets insialied m the power house at Grand River Dam, Oklahoma.

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